THE government has been told that listing the entrance of Boscombe pier would be "the nail in the coffin" for the town's regeneration plans.

Council chiefs have pulled no punches in their bid to prevent four rundown kiosks at the neck of the pier being made a listed building. But they now face an anxious wait to see if heritage minister Andrew McIntosh will be persuaded by their appeal.

If they fail, the seafront regeneration scheme that would see a surf reef and restaurant created at Boscombe could be ditched.

Stephen Godsall, Bournemouth Borough Council's director of leisure and tourism, said they were keeping their fingers crossed that "common sense will prevail".

"If this listing goes ahead it really could be the nail in the coffin for the regeneration of Boscombe seafront - surely something that nobody wants," he said.

"Boscombe needs a major scheme. A new pier entrance building is an essential part of the plans and is a world away from the 50-year-old building that's there now."

He said independent research proved that the proposed scheme would breathe new life to the seafront, with 85 per cent of those surveyed claiming they would be more likely to visit the area once new facilities were in place.

And a revitalised pier was the most supported element of the scheme following consultation two years ago.

"We hope that common sense will prevail and the regeneration plans, complete with surf reef, restaurant and a much-improved street scene, can go ahead, without being hindered by this proposed listing," he added.

"We really cannot accept that the pier entrance building is of sufficient historic or architectural importance to justify jeopardising these proposals."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport could not confirm how many responses had been received prior to the deadline on Monday, October 25.

But she confirmed that they would all be passed to Mr McIntosh for him to make a decision within the next few months.

First published: October 29